Iglesia Bautista Primera de Bassett
by Barry Webster Vol. XI, No. 10, Nov/Dec 1998
The events that led First Baptist Church of Bassett to plant a Hispanic church in our county began over two years ago. I was in my church office when a man called named Armando Guzman. He is a medical doctor and church planter from Chiapas, Mexico, who was in Virginia for a year of study at Liberty University. He has planted some twelve churches in Chiapas. In addition, ten years ago he began a seminary and Bible school in his present church in Tuxtla. From those schools Dr. Guzman has trained and sent out dozens of young men to pastor mission churches he has planted or to begin a new work altogether.
Dr. Guzman called me that day to inquire if he could come to FBC and present his work. The Holy Spirit impressed me to have him come, although I am normally hesitant to allow people to come who call me and request a meeting. As he and his wife Debbie ministered to us on a Sunday evening, the Lord touched my heart to become involved in Dr. Guzman’s ministry. At the time I did not know where that commitment would lead FBC or the SBCV.
A few months after the Guzmans had come to FBC, they told me they were going to move back to Chiapas. I asked them if I could help. To sum up, I drove their moving van from Bassett to Chiapas, Mexico. It was a trip that seemed copied from a Hollywood chase scene, a story replete with the touches of the hand of an ever-protecting Lord. Upon arrival in Chiapas I had the privilege of preaching in several of the churches planted by Dr. Guzman. Preaching and ministering in these churches changed my life, I was now `hooked’ on missions. Since that July of 1996 four mission teams from FBC have gone to Mexico and Venezuela. These team members have been changed also as a result of ‘doing’ missions. Nearly all the team members have either gone back to Mexico or Venezuela or are committed to do so.
The vision for a Hispanic church in our area began after our team returned from our first mission trip to Mexico. Upon seeing the number of Hispanic people in our community who are almost totally unreached, our mission group felt we might do something about this lack of gospel witness. Team members began to learn Spanish. We began witnessing and giving out the Four Spiritual Laws in Español. In shopping malls, grocery stores, Mexican tiendas [small taco stores], we began to witness and get to know some of the Spanish population. We learned from conversations with Hispanic folk about their feelings of having a native Latin American pastor to come to minister to them. God led our group to believe that we could be co-workers with God to effect a church-building strategy for the Hispanic population. After sharing the vision with three other SBCV churches in Henry county and securing their involvement, we made further plans and took action to implement those plans.
Upon our request SBCV staffers Ken Gooch and Ken Nienke came to FBC to learn more about our vision to reach the Hispanic population. Ken Gooch performed a demographical survey of Henry and Rockingham counties and determined there are about nine thousand Hispanics in these combined areas. Upon hearing these demographics I experienced further assurance the Lord was leading us to begin this work. Ken Gooch and Ken Nienke were positive and supportive of our beginning the work, especially since our members had by this time become intensely involved in seeing the vision carried out. The above factors have combined to produce as well as reflect a positive attitude upon our church, the Hispanic community, our sister SBCV churches, and the field representatives of the SBCV.
The question before us now was, who is the person that God would send to help implement His mission? In my initial trip to Mexico I met Manuel Sanchez and his wife Suzie, and I was impressed with their ministry skills and commitment to the Lord’s work. During a casual conversation with Dr. Guzman I learned that Manuel was interested in coming to the United States to become involved in Christian ministry. I soon talked with Manuel, and we began to plan for him to come to Bassett. When I introduced the idea to our members at FBC, they voted 100% to be the mother church and to support the effort. After many months of working with the United States Embassy, Congressman Virgil Goode, and a host of other agencies the dream became a reality. In early May of this year Tim Hylton, Youth Minister of FBC and I drove the church van to Mexico and got the Sanchez family.
Evidence of God’s good hand upon us occurred quickly. Upon arriving at the Texas border the American customs official would not permit the family to cross for some technicality. We all prayed for the Lord’s intervention, and soon the Lord sent a man who upon first appearance seemed to be the Devil’s advocate. As this rugged looking individual talked with the official who was determined to detain the family he seemed to be in agreement with his decision, even nodding his approval of a job well done. Suddenly to our amazement and joy he told the man roughly to forget the technicality and grant the permission. At that moment I knew how David felt when God sent the wind through the mulberry trees as His indication that victory was in hand.
After spending a few weeks settling in Bassett, Manuel had the first service on the first Sunday of June. About sixteen people attended and that has been the smallest attendance since the mission’s inception. They now average between 35 -45, a Sunday School is in place, and recently we experienced a Spirit-filled baptism in the Smith River. People are coming to Christ on a weekly basis. Manuel and Suzie conduct discipleship classes in their home as well as the homes of those attending the mission. In addition the vision has increased. Now our goal is to have a Hispanic Bible school connected with the local Spanish church. From this school men and women will go over our entire state planting churches and ministering to the needs of the burgeoning Hispanic population.
What can you do to help? The current needs of the mission involve transportation. Manuel feels the mission could double attendance if they had a van to pick up folk on Sunday mornings and for other meetings. Secondly, the mission needs another place to meet. Currently the group is meeting in the local funeral home. This necessitates moving their musical equipment each Sunday. Moreover, the funeral home is quite small, and Manuel feels a larger building would facilitate church attendance.
When one observes the Hispanic project in Bassett, it is obvious that only God could accomplish such a work in such a small place. Bassett is not hedged in by interstates or skyscrapers but by trees and hills. God is responsible for building His church. If God can do such a work here, He can do it where you live. Be open, develop a vision, and be courageous to follow God. I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it. Revelation 3:8
[Barry Webster is senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Bassett.]